Tag Archive: Culture & Travel – Intermediate

The Door to Hell

door to hell

© BBC Travel Pre-reading questions I will read each question. Then, please answer them. Do you enjoy viewing mystery films or reading mysteries? What can you say about them? What can you say about your city’s architecture? Vocabulary I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. blazing /BLEY-zing/ [adjective] – very bright and hot We quickly became exhausted in the blazing heat. explore /ik-SPLAWR/ [verb] – to search and discover (about something) The best way to explore the countryside is by walking. tremendous /trih-MEN-duhs/ [adjective] – very great in amount or level, or extremely good Tremendous damage has been done by the floodwater. colosseum /kol-uh-SEE-uhm/…
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Tartessos: Was it a city, kingdom, or river?

ruinssss

© Andrew Lofthouse via BBC News Pre-reading questions I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What is your favorite historical book or movie? Why? Which Japanese era is your favorite and why? Vocabulary I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. reveal /ri-VEEL/ [verb] – to make known or show something that is surprising or that was previously secret He reveals his deepest secrets in the book. widely /WAHYD-lee/ [adverb] – including a lot of different places, people, subjects, etc. Garlic used to be widely used in traditional medicine. conqueror /KONG-ker-er/ [noun] – someone who has conquered a country or its people The…
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Respect for the Elderly Day

Portrait of old grandma and adult granddaughter hugging with love on sofa while looking at camera. Happy young woman with eyeglasses hugging from behind older grandma with spectacles. Senior woman spending time with her beautiful daughter, generation family concept.

Pre-reading questions I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What do you think is the best age? Why? In your opinion, what is the ideal retirement age? Please explain your answer. Vocabulary I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. wisdom /WIZ-duhm/ [noun] – the ability to use your knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgments Hoshi will almost always offer pearls of wisdom. define /dih-FAHYN/ [verb] – to explain and describe the meaning and exact limits of something Your contract defines your duties and responsibilities. permanently /PUR-muh-nuhnt-lee/ [adverb] – always and forever She had decided to live in Australia permanently….
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The quest for autumn leaves

Autumn trees lining driveway

Pre-reading questions I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What is the best season to go sightseeing in Japan? What is your favorite thing to do in autumn? Vocabulary I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. vibrant /VAHY-bruhnt/ [adjective] – energetic, bright, and full of life or excitement Kaito consistently uses vibrant colors in his paintings. chop /chop/ [verb] – to cut something into pieces with an axe, knife, or other sharp instrument Could you chop some wood for the fire? climate /KLAHY-mit/ [noun] – the general weather conditions usually found in a particular place It’s preferable for strawberries to grow in…
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Where is Santa Claus?

Santa Claus brought gifts for Christmas and having a rest by the fireplace. Christmas and New Year concept. Home decoration.

Pre-reading questions I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What do people in your country typically do on Christmas Day? What are the differences between Christmas in Japan and other countries? Vocabulary I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. theory /THREE-uh-ree/ [noun] – something suggested as a reasonable explanation for facts, a condition, or an event, especially a systematic or scientific explanation No historians have confirmed the theory about Alexander the Great. supposed /suh-POH-zid/ [adjective] – believed by many people to be true, but not proven and often doubted by the person who is speaking or writing The plan’s expenses greatly surpass…
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The best and worst party in history

shah

© Wikimedia Commons via historyofyesterday.com Pre-reading questions I will read each question. Then, please answer them. When was the last time you have been to a party? Whose party was it? What do you enjoy doing the most when you attend parties? Vocabulary I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. wealth /welth/ [noun] – a large amount of money or valuable possessions that someone has Nina’s career helped her save a great amount of wealth. grand /grand/ [adjective] – important and large in degree Several well-known celebrities attended the grand event. narrate /na-REYT/ [verb] – to tell a story, often by reading aloud from…
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The great fall foliage in Japan

colorful trees and rural road in deep autumn forest, natural background

Pre-reading questions I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What comes to your mind when you hear the word “autumn”? What is the best place to see the autumn leaves from where you live? Vocabulary I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. gradually /GRAJ-oo-uh-lee/ [adverb] – slowly over a period of time or a distance She adjusted to the vegetarian diet gradually. canoe /kuh-NOO/ [verb] – to travel in a canoe (=a small, light, narrow boat, pointed at both ends and moved using a paddle) We navigated the lake by canoeing. trail /treyl/ [noun] – a path through a countryside, mountain, or…
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The country that is “seven years behind” the world

Location Ethiopia. Red pin on the map.

Pre-reading questions I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What month do you look forward to the most and why? What is the best month to visit your country? Please share the reasons as well. Vocabulary I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. Ethiopia /ee-thee-OH-pee-uh/ [noun] – a country in East Africa My family and I stayed in Ethiopia for four years. mark /mahrk/ [verb] – to represent something that has happened in the past or is about to happen Today marks the company’s tenth anniversary. unique /yoo-NEEK/ [adjective] – being the only existing one of its type or, more generally, unusual,…
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Saving Hawaii’s natural wonders

Waterfall in Kauai With Rainbow and Bird Overhead

©Adobe Stock | Kauai, Hawaii Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What is the most beautiful thing in nature? Why? How do you feel when you are in nature? Why? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. widely /WAHYD-lee/ [adverb] – by many The English language is widely spoken throughout the world. archipelago /ahr-kuh-PEL-uh-goh/ [noun] – a group of small islands or an area of sea in which there are many small islands Indonesia is known as the largest archipelago in the world. dense /dens/ [adjective] – close together and difficult to go or see through; thick The…
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Four artworks of Surrealism explained

sea

©The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo / MOMAT/DNPartcom via BBC Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What are the different types of art in your country (e.g., ukiyo-e)? What do you think is the most popular artwork from your country and why? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. larva /LAHR-vuh/ [noun] – a young insect that has left its egg but has not yet developed wings, or the young of some animals Before we knew it, the eggs quickly hatched into larvae. overpower /oh-ver-POU-er/ [verb] – to defeat someone by having greater strength or power The…
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